CHAMPAIGN, November 4, 2026 —
Illinois has canceled its 2027 and 2028 football series with Missouri to schedule a home-and-home series with Notre Dame, leaving the Tigers with open dates and a financial gap in their non-conference slate.
The Fighting Illini will host Notre Dame at Memorial Stadium in Champaign on Sept. 2, 2028, after opening the series at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend on Sept. 4, 2027. Illinois Director of Athletics Josh Whitman said the series was desired since his 2016 arrival, citing proximity, common values, and Chicago roots. Illinois and Notre Dame have met 12 times on the gridiron, with the Fighting Irish holding an 11-0-1 all-time advantage; the programs last played in 1968. The agreement with Illinois comes after Notre Dame announced a pause in its rivalry series with Purdue for 2027 and 2028 earlier the same day. With the addition of the Fighting Illini, the Fighting Irish now have 12 opponents scheduled for the 2027 season. Illinois also announced the addition of FIU for a season-opening matchup on Aug. 28, 2027.
Missouri, a member of the Southeastern Conference since 2012, had been scheduled as the opponent for both seasons. The Tigers’ all-time record entering the 2025 season is 721–593–52 (.547) with 15 conference titles. Home games are played at Faurot Field in Columbia, Missouri. Missouri now faces open dates in its non-conference scheduling for 2027 and 2028 as it searches for replacement opponents.
Illinois will replace previously scheduled games against Missouri in both 2027 and 2028 with the Notre Dame series. The Illini also announced the addition of FIU for a season-opening matchup on Aug. 28, 2027.
Notre Dame now has 12 opponents scheduled for the 2027 season with the Illinois addition.
Sources
- Missouri Tigers football
- Missouri vs Arkansas football Game Week: info, where to watch, predictions
- Wrights and Wrongs: Takeaways from Mizzou football's win over Arkansas
- Texas opens as a 3.5-point favorite against Missouri
- 5 Things for Texas Football Fans to Know About the Missouri Tigers
- Notre Dame, Illinois schedule football series for 2027, 2028
Photo: Daniel Schwen (CC BY-SA 4.0)
